The Radboud Immersive Virtual Environment Research (RIVER) Labs are two Behavioral Science Institute research labs dedicated to experiments in Virtual Reality (VR). However, in 2013 it was decided to make RIVER Lab 1 available for other purposes as well, promoting RIVER Lab 2 as the prime facility for any VR research. The RIVER Labs are managed by Erik van den Berge of the TSG.

Physical Properties

Equipment

Both RIVER labs come with special equipment for creating a digital immersive virtual environment. The following specifications apply to the current lab setup, operational since January 2014. For older specifications, please contact the lab manager.

Head Mounted Displays

Nvis Nvisor SX60

Oculus Rift Dev. Kit 1

HTC Vive

In service

2006 - October 2013

November 2013 - 2017

November 2016 -

In RIVER Lab 2, five retro-reflective markers are attached to the Head Mounted Display via a custom 3D-printed frame for tracking the participant's position and orientation; any internal tracking in the HMD is disabled.

Vive

As of November 2016, standard HTC Vive setups are available in both RIVER Labs. These setups use the Vive's own "Lighthouse" tracking system instead of the lab's, and a standard Lab Computer (with upgraded graphics card). No wireless solution is available for the Vive (yet[2]), so the tracking area is limited by the length of the cable and the range of the Lighthouse tracking system.
As of September 2017, the Vive in RIVER Lab 2 has been equipped with the Deluxe Audio Strap, which has built-in headphones.